This is a cross past from Gunsite for anyone interested who doesn't go there.
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As my number of presses has grown bench space has become an issue. I previously made a quick change plate based setup for a Pro 1000 and single stage Lee press but that was triangular in shape and sized for the Lee footprints and my MEC 12G press is quite a bit longer in footprint so it didn't work on the plate.
Decided to spend the afternoon cooking up a solution as I now have 5 presses all of which I only use one at a time. Objectives were to have a rock solid mount and for the plate to enable storage of fully assembled presses on the wall in a standard bracket.
I initially toyed with the idea of making a 'shoe' style of fixture like the previous one that would have the plate engaging with c channel on three sides and then being locked in place by a single clamp on the fourth side but decided against it due to the need for precision fitting being required to make it really rigid and play free and the fact that mild steel bits wear pretty quickly regardless of how well they are fitted to begin with. A twitchy press mount does my head in so I decided to go more medieval and blacksmithy.
The plates and clamps are 5mm mild and and the presses are secured to the plates with M6 socket screws in countersinks. The clamps are secured with M8 carriage bolts hammered in from the bottom. If I feel lazy enough after a few press changes I may may replace those with bicycle axle or machine fixture style quick release cam nuts.
The combination of strap and tab clamps is to accommodate for two different lengths of plate. The 4 Lee presses all fit on the short plate but the MEC requires a longer one. Both slide under the strap which has springs under it to make clearance automatically and the tabs fit within the constraints of the operator side shapes of all three press types while exerting more than enough clamping force. I tried out the single stage press with only the strap clamp while full length resizing .270 Win brass and there was just a hint of flex so I added the tabs and it was completely eliminated.
The clamp bolts have washers under them that were ground flat on the plate side and then drilled, countersunk and screwed to the bench top to locate the standard width plate so there is zero play side to side.
I didn't get to it today so I still need to finish off the MEC and single stage press plates and bend up and weld the wall storage brackets from some perfectly sized C channel that I have left over from a data network installation business I had. They will go on the wall and my mother in law has generously volunteered to make me waxed cotton covers for them. Will be lekker as I'll be able to mount them on the wall fully assembled and ready to go with none one the roundphuckery that comes with a forest of presses getting in the way of everything or the need to disassemble presses for storage.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQTxp1g5x9XaSrlwzLSSx-HUASzK-SWmVGKNDOFpWhPb2Vs?width=1024)
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQTXfGirH7GDQa49dg9g-K7_AckcW-hzEbJ6Oq0hEeQtw00?height=1024)
looks like you also need a warehouse to home and use your equipment. I genuinely can not get another press or even a scale in my workshop - no more plans will help me. I am now having to take apart pack away and pack out to use stuff. I have no wall unused and no open space, every inch is used.
Great idea with the plates.
With the kids out of the house I annexed one of their rooms and moved everything out of the garage onto a desk. Friend of mine gave me an off cut of a kitchen top and I fastened it to an old desk. I need to move the load all over to the right and add a bin and bracket for the loadmaster.
The clamping system on the plate is genius. Much more rigid than the commercial systems on offer.
Well done.
Quote from: Rumple on Oct 21, 2024, 07:38 AMGreat idea with the plates.
With the kids out of the house I annexed one of their rooms and moved everything out of the garage onto a desk. Friend of mine gave me an off cut of a kitchen top and I fastened it to an old desk. I need to move the load all over to the right and add a bin and bracket for the loadmaster.
My daughter leaves for varsity next year and I considered taking over her study and turning it into a press and reloading gear gallery but decided against it. I like the time alone in my workshop and the amount of work required to convert the study far exceeds this plate exercise. I don't intend living here much longer and I'd need to reverse the work anyway as it wouldn't show well.
Quote from: big5ifty on Oct 21, 2024, 02:38 PMThe clamping system on the plate is genius. Much more rigid than the commercial systems on offer.
Well done.
Thanks, I'm glad I went this route as it's rigid as hell, simple and free. Every bit of it came out of stock at home and I won't even need to buy paint. I normally overcomplicate stuff so this was a nice change.
Looks like you've used almost a thousand words there. Some photos would not go amis. Would save you typing a few thousand more.
Quote from: janfred on Oct 22, 2024, 01:37 AMLooks like you've used almost a thousand words there. Some photos would not go amis. Would save you typing a few thousand more.
What do you want to see that isn't in the two in the first post?
Might be difficult to believe, but I have trouble picturing in my mind what you describe.
Quote from: janfred on Oct 22, 2024, 07:33 AMMight be difficult to believe, but I have trouble picturing in my mind what you describe.
I must assume you can't see the two pictures in the first post due to them being on a file share service. If that's the case you can pm me your cell number and I can WhatsApp them.
Can you see these?
Quote from: oafpatroll on Oct 22, 2024, 07:52 AMQuote from: janfred on Oct 22, 2024, 07:33 AMMight be difficult to believe, but I have trouble picturing in my mind what you describe.
I must assume you can't see the two pictures in the first post due to them being on a file share service. If that's the case you can pm me your cell number and I can WhatsApp them.
I didn't realise there were photos as nothing shows up in post
Pics are hosted on OneDrive so I assume they are being blocked by policies.
You can attach photos on this forum by selecting "Preview" at the bottom of the text box. Then "Click or drag files here" appears below the text entry box. Provided it is less than 2MB you can then insert it inline by selecting the blue arrow.
Screenshot_20241022_145131.jpg
Apologies if you already know this.
Quote from: janfred on Oct 22, 2024, 08:54 AMYou can attach photos on this forum by selecting "Preview" at the bottom of the text box. Then "Click or drag files here" appears below the text entry box. Provided it is less than 2MB you can then insert it inline by selecting the blue arrow.
Screenshot_20241022_145131.jpg
Apologies if you already know this.
Thanks. I didn't know the forum supported image hosting as many don't due to cost. Will do that from now on. Kinda pisses off that OneDrive of all things has made it into the ban lists.
Most phone cameras take higher res pictures that are larger than 2MB, you will need to either
- resize the image down on your PC [ or your phone if you know how to ] then upload.
- reduce the default picture size on your phone camera
For example, a 1600x1200 image in webp format is under 500k.
Few more pics in case any one else wants to use any of the ideas.
Plates from left to right: APP, Pro 1000 & Breechlock Challenger single stage. The generous cutout on the APP plate is to allow it to support all the way to the rim of the bottom breech lock fitting. No idea whether that's a real weak spot but it did look a little flimsy.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQTyj7go9q9qR7Wb6h1ZHDewAROL6Re-1ir6IMdxYSBm_Os?width=1024)
As yet incomplete wall brackets. They have sections of the plate stock acting as height and width spacers for the plates. There's a mm of clearance side to side and about 0.25mm top to bottom. The clearance for the height/thickness of the plates was achieved by adding one layer of some plastic sheet from a blister pack so the plates are a nice sliding fit. The brackets will be mounted to the wall with 4 screws on a pair of tapered wooden spacers with the fat ends at the bottom to give the give the slot an approx 5 degree tilt upwards so that a little gravity will be added to the securing mix. It's looking like the securing pins I thought I'd need will be unnecessary.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQSZA6lCGX2_R75vq1-fabRBAXBctOUjoxG0eAJzfp0meHo?width=1024)
an engineers son ?
Quote from: Treeman on Oct 28, 2024, 12:38 PMan engineers son ?
He's not an engineer but rather an incurable tinkerer. Turns his hand to pretty much anything.
If you slide the mounting plate into the wall bracket, the mounting plate is then a cantilever.
How much flex are you expecting ?
Quote from: big5ifty on Oct 28, 2024, 03:18 PMIf you slide the mounting plate into the wall bracket, the mounting plate is then a cantilever.
How much flex are you expecting ?
Indeed it will be and hence the slight upward angle to benefit from that. I expect near zero measurable flex. The plates are 5mm thick and the brackets 6.
A 5mm cantilevered plate will flex when you size brass.
Less from the action of sizing, more from the force of your hand at the end of the stroke.
Quote from: big5ifty on Oct 28, 2024, 04:42 PMA 5mm cantilevered plate will flex when you size brass.
Less from the action of sizing, more from the force of your hand at the end of the stroke.
Ok, I understand your question now. The brackets are for wall storage of unused and fully assembled presses not for using them. The strap and tab clamp arrangement on the bench is for the use of the press so there'll always be four 'red presses hanging on the wall' and that wont be able to introduce enough flex for one one to accidentally fall which is what the fitting and angling of the brackets was all about.
I assumed due to the heavy gauge steel involved that it was meant to be load bearing.
Overkill for storage, but a very slick solution. Nicely done..
I would suggest a drop pin in the center of the support through the plate. Murphy will find a dozen ways to dislodge it by accident.
Quote from: big5ifty on Oct 29, 2024, 04:13 PMI assumed due to the heavy gauge steel involved that it was meant to be load bearing.
Overkill for storage, but a very slick solution. Nicely done..
I would suggest a drop pin in the center of the support through the plate. Murphy will find a dozen ways to dislodge it by accident.
Thanks. Ja, it's 2 times overkill at least but the material selection was dictated by what I had on hand rather than by what was good enough. I have other lighter gauge angle but noting that would give the depth of throat I wanted so this 25 plus year old stick that was left over from a carport built was it.
I'd assumed that a pin would be required but the fit is such that I'm doubting it will be. The plates have to be pulled directly backward by > 50mm against a bit of resistance so between their location, which is in a corner with a wall and cabinet on either side, and the angled slot I'm anticipating they wont need it. Will be simple enough to add if it turns out to be less than sufficiently positive.
Been a bit busy so haven't had much workshop time available till today. Got the wall storage brackets finished up and the first one mounted to test. It's for the MEC 12G press and I ended up making it to fit that one specifically because the built in plate is both narrower and of a heavier (non-metric) gauge of plate. Decided it would be less bother making one special snowflake rather than trying to make all the the others accommodate. The other four are made to fit the standard 150 square x 5mm plate I planned to use on all of them originally. Ran out of beer in the workshop fridge so pulled the plug on mounting the other 4 which I will do tomorrow.
It works great. The plates are a close sliding fit in width and height to the slot and retention turned out to be more than positive enough to not need to angle the bracket upward or put a retention pin in it.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQTIluj3TLF7Sbfv9WTBnQKtAbJoZNMtM6Iyxn876474i0A?height=1024)
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQThI84HU1vsSYq9BeeHFBK-AbD7uzkPCPzMM3gxkswfIA4?height=1024)
Finished up this afternoon. Turned out well and I'm glad I put in the effort. Realised that I could have simplified the wall brackets even further by using 50mm flat bar in place of one of the angle sections as they definitely don't need four screws to secure them. Had some of that lying around but hadn't noticed it. These things would make decent floating staircase brackets for people a little thinner than me. Ran out of enthusiasm just before mounting everything so instead of painting I just wiped on linseed oil after heating the plates and brackets with a torch.
Thinking of opening a reloading press gallery.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/a85e799ae65123e6/IQSPzpqhm328Q6I0zEIPzkuwAc86lxkMCsjGpGHwSV92z4U?height=1024)
Looks good 👍
Very nice! Well done.
An unplanned but in hindsight pretty obvious additional benefit of this plate system is that given a stout enough top I can clamp the presses to any table or shelf and have at it. Spent most of Saturday sitting at an outdoor table in the winter sun decapping 9mmP, .38Spl and .357 Mag cases while listening to Robert Service's Lenin.